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All you PS3 owners out there who are tired of having to manually insert that Netflix disc whenever you wanna get your streaming on, listen up! Netflix has just announced that, starting October 18th, the PS3 disc will no longer be required. Even better news? PS3 owners will be able to stream some content in 1080i 1080p resolution, and 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. The PS3 is the first to get these oft-requested features, and even more curious is the fact that they seem to be left out of the Xbox 360's upcoming dashboard update that is set to drop in November.

So, yeah Netflix, it's definitely cool and all that you are finally bringing out the big guns with your instant streaming service, and we'll definitely be defaulting to the PS3 for our viewing starting on the 18th--but can we get a little device parity here?

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If you’re ready to cut the cable cord, it looks like Hulu Plus may be just the thing to facilitate that. Already available in beta on the PS3, as well as on the iPad and iOS devices, it was just announced that the service is coming to Roku‘s line of set top boxes, and that it’ll also be added to the TiVo Premiere as a service. Hulu Plus will also be made available to the general public on the Xbox 360 in 2011 as well. Depending on which shows you watch, the $10 Hulu Plus monthly fee may very well allow you to ditch your cable TV package, especially if paired with Netflix. Get ready for a shift in the way television gets consumed.

The only thing we are wondering now is if the new Apple TV will also be picking up Hulu Plus at some point, or if Apple plans on just going with Netflix plus $.99 TV rentals.

Our pals over at BGR have got a scoop from a “reliable Apple source” that has told them that the company is preparing for a major shift in their iTunes strategy. Basically, Apple is readying an iTunes cloud service that would bring a few new capabilities to the service, and untether you from keeping and accessing your content strictly off of a local hard drive. Once live, you’d be able to stream your music and movies directly from Apple’s servers to your devices, no matter where you are. Further, you’d be able to steam music and movies from your home computers to your other computers and remote devices, kind of like an extension of Back to My Mac. Lastly, we should finally see wireless iTunes syncing come to devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

These changes would immediately negate pretty much all storage space woes with WiFi-capable Apple devices. A 16GB iPad could stream every movie you own rather than requiring the movie to be stores on the device itself, making internal storage much less of an issue. Apple typically has their iTunes and iPod event in September, and this year should be no different. If this is real, we’d expect it to be unveiled in just over two months.

If you are a current Netflix subscriber, you’ll likely recall that they decided to enter into an agreement with Warner Bros. back in January that would delay Netflix from making new films from the studio available to subscribers for 28 days from the in-store release date. Well, it looks like more studios are jumping on board, as both Fox and Universal has now come to similar terms. What’s the upside for Netflix subscribers? More streaming movies.

For example, with the Fox agreement, you’ll need to wait 28 days before you’ll be able to get a movie like Avatar in the mail, but in exchange you’ll find streaming titles like 24, Bones, Lie to Me, Arrested Development, Prison Break, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With Universal, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for movies like It’s Complicated, but don’t fret, because Billy Elliot, The Pianist, and Being John Malkovich (among others) will be at your instant streaming disposal.

Expect more of these deals to be made, as Netflix is banking on streaming movies as the future of distribution (we agree,) and they are of the mindset that having customers wait an extra 4 weeks to get new discs is worth it if it means greater access to streaming rights. Let’s see how this all plays out. Anyone upset about this?

Good news for Blackberry owners. In addition to Slacker, IHeartRadio, with over 150 regional stations, is now available for the handheld. Pandora is also streaming their music service with included custom and pre-made stations with its music genome technology. If you already have Pandora, you can log in on your existing station. The two applications will work with Blackberry Bolds, Pearls and Curves and is supported by Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. Unfortunately, T-Mobile phones are not compatible.

CBS Interactive has launched their TV.com application. With it you get free access to clips from CSI, the L word, Star Trek and more. Shake your iPhone or touch and get a random clip. There is also free streaming from CBS News, Sports and Radio, Showtime and cnet. Although most of the content are clips, promos and interviews, there will undoubtedly be more full episodes if the app is well received.

LG and Netflix have teamed to create the first Blu-ray disc player that will also stream from Nextflix directly to your TV. In addition to beginning play in about 30 seconds, the BD300 will up-convert standard DVDs to 1080p and allow subscribers to view over 12,000 movies and TV shows. After adding them to your online queue, you can then access them on your TV. The player includes fast-forward and rewind applications, and you can rate your picks and advise others. Look forward to a fall debut for the BD300.

In an agreement with the International Olympic Committee, YouTube will be streaming 3 hours of recorded Olympic coverage per day. Countries like the U.S. and UK will be blocked since they will be receiving it on BBC and NBC. About 77 territories will have access to highlight reels and wrap-ups, but they will not be showing live events. Director of television and marketing for the IOC Timo Lumme claims that “for the first time in Olympic history we will have complete global online coverage.”

Have you ever watched the Olympics only to find that they didn’t televise the event you wanted to see? No need to leave your computer this summer as NBC has made plans to stream the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when they begin August 8. They estimate 4,000 hours of events which adds up to 200 hours per day. NBC’s SVP of Digital Digital Media Perkins Miller says that viewers can isolate events by sport or individual and can rewatch those that they want to see again. Over 17 different technology partners will be involved worldwide.

Jukefly is a free streaming music service that you can use to access your music as well as dig new stuff from others’ suggestions. Sign up, create an account, and download its server. Select folders and stream the music. It will be there any time you want to throw a mini-music party. Jukefly supports WMAs, OGGs, MP3s, and DRM iTunes. Expect FLACs in the future. We can see this as a handy way to access your tunes without taking up space on your own computer and finding new music from those who have the same taste.